The present invention relates to an arrangement for the oriented feeding out of caps of the type comprising a cap body and a projection arranged at an angle thereto, which arrangement comprises a rotating disc with a plane working surface onto which the caps are fed in random orientation.
In the mechanical capping of bottles the caps are fed at a relatively high rate to the capping machine along a feed channel, which usually slopes along the greater part of its length so that the caps can be fed with the help of gravitational force. To enable the capping machine to function faultlessly and without interruption it is essential that the caps should be supplied in a uniform stream and in a certain, predetermined, orientation position. Incorrectly oriented or turned caps will invariably lead to stoppages, either because they hinder the feeding into the feed channel or because they cannot be gripped by the capping machine and applied to the bottles. The caps which are used are generally supplied ready-made in bags or boxes and an arrangement is required, therefore, which orientates and feeds out the caps so that they can be supplied to the feed channel without interruption in the correct orientation position.
The problem of orientation and feeding out is particularly great in the type of caps which beside the cap body itself also comprise a projection in the form of a pull-lug serving as an opening device, since such caps not only have to be turned to that they rest on the correct side but they also have to be twisted so that the lug ends up in the desired angular position.
Arrangements for this purpose known up to now comprise a funnel-shaped magazine into which the caps are emptied manually from the boxes or bags wherein they have been supplied. The magazine is arranged above a rotating horizontal disc and the caps, obtained via an opening in the magazine arranged in the vicinity of the centre of the rotating disc, drop down onto the rotating disc. Because of the centrifugal force the caps will be flung out towards the periphery of the disc where, owing to the rotation of the disc, they are made to slide along a stationary wall arranged at the periphery of the disc which prevents the caps from being flung off the disc. Owing to the friction against the wall or the disc the caps will be influenced and continuously alter their orientation position in a random manner until they end up in a relatively stable position, wherein the top side of the cap rests against the rotating disc and the lug points at an angle upwards. Since all other orientation positions, as a consequence of the lug extending at an angle from the cap, are unstable, all the caps successively will end up in this position. When the caps in this position slide along the wall or the guide rail arranged along the periphery of the disc, they are collected successively by guide plates which steer the caps out through an opening in the guide rail where a nozzle is provided which, with the help of a strong air jet drives the caps thus oriented further towards the opening of a feed channel which guides the caps to the capping machine.
It has been found in practice that this known orientation and feeding out arrangement feeds out a certain percentage of caps with the lug first instead of, as is desirable, feeding the caps with the cap body first and the lug last. To avoid disturbances in the capping machine it was necessary, therefore to provide the feed channel with a device which checks the position of the lug in relation to the cap body and removes incorrectly oriented caps.
It is a further adisadvantage of the known arrangement that the air jet which drives the caps from the opening in the guide rail to the input end of the feed channel causes an appreciable noise which is of course undesirable from a point of view of working environment. Finally, the feeding out from the rotating disc has proved to be very easily upset by caps of different function which means, among other things, that the feeding out is interrupted and can only be resumed again after manual cleaning of the outlet.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement for the oriented feeding out of caps, which arrangement is not subject to the disadvantages affecting the arrangements known up to now.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an arrangement for the oriented feeding out of caps which arrangement has great operating reliability and completely eliminates incorrectly turned caps.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an arrangement for the oriented feeding out of caps, which arrangement is simple, reliable in operation and inexpensive to manufacture.
These and other objectives have been achieved in accordance with the invention in that an arrangement of the rotating disc is provided with a guide rail in the form of an uninterrupted ring arranged coaxially with the disc and above the working surface of the same which is adapted to steer the caps driven by the rotation of the disc so that they are made to slide in an oriented position with the cap body under the guide rail and with the projection in contact against the guide rail. A feeding out element is arranged adjoining the guide rail in such a way that by engaging with the cap body it causes the longitudinally oriented caps to pass under the guide rail whilst at the same time bending down the projection.
This design eliminates the previously required opening in the guide rail and the guide plates and the air nozzle arranged at the opening. Instead the caps are fed out via a space between the guide rail and the rotating disc with the help of a feeding out element which positively engages and drives the caps out under the guide rail at the same time as the projection or pull-lug is bent down under the guide rail. Since caps of this type are made of a flexible plastic material the pull-lug will rapidly reassume its original shape. Owing to the absence of an opening in the guide rail, any wedging of caps and blockages is avoided when a great number of caps is steered at the same time towards the feeding out point. Instead the caps oriented in the correct position can continue to slide along the guide rail while waiting for the feeding out with the help of the feeding out element.
A preferred embodiment of the arrangement in accordance with the invention has been given moreover the characteristics which are evident from the subsidiary claims.